1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cranial massage apparatus, and, more particularly, to an improved apparatus for mechanically providing a cranial massage that includes numerous modes of massage, and does not require constant attention from another person.
2. General Background and State of the Art
Headaches are a very common disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. A common cause of headaches, confirmed by years of scientific research, is dilation of the blood vessels of the head and scalp. Another very common source of headaches is tension in the muscles of the head and neck, frequently cause by stressful events.
There are numerous medications available for headache relief on the market. While many find such medications effective for providing relief from their headaches, use of such medications is not without risk due to possible toxic side effects and the possibility of adverse reaction. Many headache sufferers, therefore, prefer medication-free treatments to relieve their headaches.
Many headache sufferers often seek relief by the application of finger pressure over the areas of most severe pain. An individual can apply such pressure by himself or herself or by the assistance of another person or implement. The effectiveness of this type of manual treatment is limited because generally only a small number of pressure points can be stimulated simultaneously because of the number of fingers on, and the configuration of, the human hand. Another limitation of such manual treatments is that such treatments are time limited because of fatigue occurring in the hands and fingers.
Other headache sufferers find acupuncture and acupressure therapies safe and cost-effective alternatives. Acupuncture as a means for relief of headaches has been used successfully for many years. Acupuncture is the long-used method of employing insertion of needles into the skin at exact, spatially defined points in order to treat specific disorders
Another method of headache treatment that is akin to acupuncture is acupressure, which is the application of pressure, usually by using the thumbs, at the traditional, known acupuncture points. Acupressure is frequently employed as a treatment in lieu of acupuncture. Both of these treatment techniques are widely accepted by the health care community and the public as valid forms of treatment for alleviating headaches.
A drawback to the acupuncture and acupressure techniques is that both techniques require a trained, skilled and licensed professional to provide the treatments. The individual applying the treatment must be familiar with nerve points and their location and must apply the right amount of pressure for a prescribed duration. There are a limited number of such professionals compared to the number of headache sufferers. Thus, a headache sufferer may not have ready access to such treatment alternatives when it is most needed.
To address some of the disadvantages of these treatment alternatives, there have been a number of attempts to provide mechanical devices for treating headaches. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,247,440 to Hempel. The Hempel patent discloses a device that consists of a series of bands that are applied to the head in a manner such that the head is massaged from the sides to loosen the scalp and increase blood flow in the head. The Hempel device is not directed to applying pressure to the acupressure points and is a machine that must be manipulated by another person other than the headache sufferer.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,467,007 to Boyd discloses a double-walled helmet for mounting on the head having inwardly projecting resilient head-massaging fingers mounted on the inner shell that move up and down in response to a motor mounted in the shell. The Boyd device is not easily adaptable to users of all configurations, and only provides one mode of massage. It is also complex in design. The double-walled construction adds to the weight of the device and also makes it a bit cumbersome. There is no provision to address sanitation issues when different users use the helmet. The movable fingers also expose the user to the problem of having his or her hair getting tangled in the machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,716,048 to Alonso discloses a semi-spherical double-walled helmet for mounting on the head. The device has an electric motor and reduction gearing in a housing at the apex of the helmet. The gearing drives a shaft, which passes through to the space between the outer and inner helmets. The shaft is connected to and drives a revolvable rigid semi-spherical shell located in bearings within the space between the helmet walls. Rubber fingers are press-fitted into holes through the inner shell of the helmet; being rubber, they are capable of limited angular movement about the hole. These fingers each have a nylon tip on the end projecting into the space between the helmet walls. The tips engage and ride in undulating grooves embossed on the movable shell. As the shell revolves, the tips are forced to move up and down by the grooves. The up and down motion in conveyed to the rubber fingers on the inside of the helmet, which massage the scalp. The Alonso device is not easily adaptable to users of all configurations, and only provides one mode of massage. It is also complex in design. The double-walled construction adds to the weight of the device and also makes it a bit cumbersome. There is no provision to address sanitation issues when different users use the helmet. The movable fingers also expose the user to the problem of having his or her hair getting tangled in the machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,986 to Cho discloses a massaging helmet that contains an endless belt, which rubs the user's head with belt areas of various textures. The belt runs over two rollers located inside the helmet near the nape and forehead. An electric motor and batteries power the belt, which rubs the scalp from front to back. The belt surface, which is made of soft plastic, has both an embossed area to mimic the human hand, and another area with rows of upright plastic fingers which comb the user's hair. The Cho device is very complex with many movable parts. It does not stimulate the movements associated with acupressure. There is no provision to address sanitation issues when different users use the helmet. The movable belts and fingers also expose the user to the problem of having his or her hair getting tangled in the machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,989 to Simon discloses a device having a plurality of individually controlled pressure applying members with a scalp-contacting member. The members are attached to a helmet or cap-like unit, each over an opening formed at locations that correspond to desired pressure points of the scalp. Each of the pressure-applying members is individually controlled. The Simon device only provides one mode of massage. The Simon device does not have any provision to address sanitation issues when different users use the helmet. The movable members also expose the user to the problem of having his or her hair getting tangled in the machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,174 to loan discloses a cap-like device for placing on the head. The device includes an outer and an inner membrane. The membranes meet and are attached at their margins, thus forming a space between them. The membranes are made of a stretchable material to enable the device to be adapted to various users. The inner membrane, which is closest to the scalp of the user, has a plurality of immobile protrusions attached to it. The protrusions come in contact with the user's scalp. The protrusions are made of hard material, either plastic or rubber. The protrusions will cover the entire surface of the inner membrane. A pump introduces air into the space between the membranes, thus forcing the immobile protrusions on the inner membrane onto the scalp. The loan device is not designed to specifically for massage, as it does not specifically apply pressure to known acupressure points. The loan device does not have any provision to address sanitation issues that occur when different users use the helmet. The immobile protrusions also expose the user to the problem of having his or her hair getting tangled in the in the device.
None of the above patents or products, taken singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the present invention as disclosed and claimed.